With the final few leaves falling off the trees and an ever-increasing layer of snow on our mountains, I got curious about mid-November weather conditions in other parts of the world.
I went to the Internet, did a whole bunch of surfing and checked out the weather for some far-flung locations that I would like to share with you.
So, if your obnoxious brother-in-law is whining about the cold, and your furnace keeps going off and on during the night, and you have to scrape frost off your windshield in the mornings, don't complain.
Check out the weather at these far-north locations, earlier this week, and you'll see why:
Alert, Nunavut, Canada (A remote weather station in the high Arctic): It had a high of -6 degrees and a low of -15 degrees, with 8 mph winds for a wind-chill factor of -29 degrees.
Arctic Bay, Nunavut, Canada (Also a remote weather station in the high Arctic): A high of -4, a low of -9 and it was cloudy.
Barrow, Alaska (It is located on the edge of the Arctic Ocean and is the furthest north community in the United States): A high of 9 and a low of -5, with wind gusts at 34 mph with heavy blowing snow and a wind-chill factor of -11 degrees.
In two more days, on Saturday, Nov. 18, their sun will set for the last time in 2006.
The residents of Barrow will not see sunshine until Jan. 24.
Wow! That's a period of two months without sunlight!
Eureka, Nunavut, Canada (A remote weather station in the high Arctic): A high of 6, a low of -10 with winds at 11 mph for a wind-chill factor of -8 degrees.
Fairbanks, Alaska (Alaska's second largest city, located in the Interior of Alaska):
A high of -15, a low of -25,. Mostly cloudy with snow showers. Sunrise was 9:23 a.m. and sunset was 3:46 p.m.
When the ice fog settles over that area during the winter months, Fairbanks can experience sub-zero temperatures of -40 degrees and that is their highs!
Grise Ford, Nunavut, Canada (Also a remote weather station in the high Arctic): A high of 1, a low of -15 and clear skies.
Mt. McKinley, Alaska: (North America's highest mountain at 20,320'): A unreal -62 degrees at an elevation of 19,000' at Denali Pass. That is some kind of cold!
Old Crow, Yukon (It is located on the Porcupine River and is the furthest north community in the Yukon): On Nov. 7, their high (-6 degrees) dipped below zero for the first time this season. Since then, their mercury has taken a drastic nose dive: Tuesday, their high was -33 degrees and their low was -37!
Geez, how would you like to be running around out there, wearing nothing but a smile!
In addition on Dec. 14, they will start a period of two weeks (Dec. 14-29) with no sunlight.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska (The beginning point of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline): The high was 0, the low was -10, with a wind-chill of -32.
This area is south and east of Barrow. It will experience the same diminishing sunlight as Barrow, until it is also pitch dark for a period of two months.
Resolute, Nunavut, Canada (Another remote weather station in the high Arctic): A high of 1, a low of 1 and clear skies.
The North Pole: As of today, it still has 123 more days with no sunlight, before the sun peeks over the horizon for the first time. Yipes, that's four months of dark, way up there!
Then, so as to not discourage you too much with these cold temperatures and dark locations, check out these two much warmer places on the other side of the world:
Nusa Dua on the Island of Bali in Indonesia (Located on the Indian Ocean near the equator): Their high was 89 degrees and their low was 78. I've been there three times and can also vouch for their very high, sweltering humidity (90+ percent). A great vacation place for light shirts, shorts, sandals and chilled fruit drinks at any time of the year.
Bangkok, Thailand (I've been there twice): Their high was 93 and their low was 75, with very high, sweltering humidity. Another great vacatioon place for light shirts, shorts, sandals and chilled drinks.
Finally,
if you would like to travel to the far north at this time of the year, go dressed warm because it will be blistering cold.
If you would like to travel to the Pacific Rim, take your shorts because it will be stifling hot.
On you can just stay right here in Carson City. It's your choice. My preference is to stay right here in God's Country!
• Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you which of the above locations I would most like to visit in 2007.
If he grins as says, "Don would like to travel to Old Crow, Yukon because he has a good friend, Robbie, who lives there," he wins this bet.
• Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal.